Chapter 65

In the end, Amity, Willow, and Gus had also gotten into the scanner, and in addition to detailed lists of what sort of human food was and wasn't safe they'd chosen to share the interesting tidbits that a witch's shriveled lung wasn't completely vestigial and that Amity, as a witch mutant, had fewer 'deviant factors' than was typical of a human mutant... And also that witches were genetically similar enough to modern humans to count as Homo sapiens.

This led to Amity telling the others about what she'd learned the last time he was in the human realm and going into more detail about her mutant power.

"Which explains why I purr when nobody else in my family does," she had concluded.

After that, the tour continued though Amity had made it a point to stand close to Luz... That's what happens when your girlfriend is an empath, and can't hide when you're feeling bad. Luz had given her hand a squeeze and tried to reassure Amity that she'd be okay without actually saying anything but she wasn't sure if it worked.

After seeing each department, history, mathematics, language, and literature (they'd already covered science) they went out into the yard which was also bigger on the inside than it was on the outside, and toured the grounds. They'd actually managed to squeeze a courtyard, a sports field, a sports building, and something called a 'Danger Room' which was a big building with an arena in it for combat simulations, obstacle courses, and stuff.

"Things are better for mutants than they've been for a long time," Wolverine explained. "But a lot of these kids still come from situations where being in this kind of shape and knowing how to fight is more important than it should be. Also, a lot of mutant powers are meant for combat, and if your arm is a gun it's only common sense that you learn how to shoot, and some powers just develop better under this kind of stress. Nobody's forced to train in here, but it's good to have a way to do it in controlled circumstances."

After that, they were led back into the mansion only for Vee to get a text. "It's from Masha!" She said with a blush... "Oh... Oh, that's not good." She texted back, got a reply, and... "So... Um... Luz, remember that Jacob guy?"

"Scott's conspiracy theorist uncle?" Luz asked. "Why?"

"Well, um... Masha went into to work after they got off of school and... Found him on the front desk," Vee said.

"Did he give them any trouble?" Luz asked.

"Not at the desk," Vee corrected. "Onthe desk. Dead."

Well didn't that stop everyone cold? "...Scott's here, right? Should... Should we track him down and tell him before he finds out some other way, or..."

"That's... Probably something he should hear from family, kid," Wolverine interrupted. He seemed a little uneasy, too. "I'm gonna call his parents later, see how they wanna handle this."

"Masha says they called the police but... They stayed in the town square while the police were um, collecting evidence and overheard that there was a... In the museum, the witch-hunting exhibit, someone painted 'Carnage Rules' over the display glass," Vee finished.

In the next moment, Amity began to hug Luz for dear life, Willow and Gus moved to flank them on reflex, Hunter seemed concerned but confused, Wolverine said one word that Luz would get in trouble for repeating, and her Mom said several such words.

"Well that means that someone who should be dead isn't," Wolverine said after a moment, "or that there's a copycat killer on the loose. Either way, I'm making some calls because this is getting ridiculous. Gonna get as many people as I can to head there and scour the town."

"Amity, sweet potato," Luz said gently, "I love you with all my heart and soul but right now you're sort of crushing me."

"He can't have you, I won't let him," Amity said in an almost trance. "I'll... I'll figure out how to combine bard magic with my fire-conjuring spell. Blast him to bits with fire and sound from Dulzura."

"What makes you think he's after me?" Luz asked. In response, all of her friends just looked at her. "What?"

"I mean, let's face it, Luz. You're kind of a magnet for trouble," Willow said.

"You don't even have to be doing something," Gus added. "Trouble just happens. A greater basilisk just happened to attack Hexside on your first day. What are the odds?"

Luz felt a sudden twinge of betrayal before she could quash it. 'Shut up brain, he wasn't blaming that on me... I think. Stop being mean.'

Amity finally let go of Luz and glared at Gus, while Luz tried to play the whole thing off with a joke.

"Jeeze, you bring snakes to school one time and suddenly it's your fault there are snakes at the school."

At that moment a rustling occurred within Luz's jacket as Stringbean floated out, yawned, and did the snake equivalent of cat-stretching before giving a happy rattle and settling on top of Luz's head.

"...You bring snakes to school two times," she finished. This broke the tension. "But seriously, he's got no way of knowing about me, so whatever he's doing in Gravesfield is... For once, not our problem." Besides, even if Luz did think they should get involved she'd probably make things worse somehow.

"Yeah, kid's right. I've got some pull with SHIELD ever since I saved Fury's bacon in 'Nam," Wolverine said, "this time tomorrow there's gonna be agents and heroes all over the town looking for any sign of the creep."

"Masha's really freaked out," Vee continued as she got another text. "They say they're going to ask Loki to 'Bifrost' them to their sister's apartment here in NYC after their lesson tomorrow and they'll text me the address once they're there so we can get filled in on anything else that they've learned."

"Okay," Luz said, "but still. There's..." No possible way this could be her fault... Right? "No reason for us to get involved. I'm more worried about... He was a nutjob but he had a family."

"And like I said, we'll handle things with his nephew after I get into contact with the parents and find out how they want to handle this," Wolverine added. "And we've got resources here if he needs counseling after this... Speaking of which," he gestured for them to start walking again, "that's why you all are here."

They then started walking, only for Vee to speak up again. "Wait... Shoud't Jacob has been in jail?"

Wolverine sighed. "That's my bad. I was supposed to testify in the kidnapping trial," he said, "but the week of the court date someone spotted an ur-wendigo crossing the border, and a favor got called in since I've got experience with that sort of thing."

"What's an ur-wendigo?" Gus asked.

"You're going to regret asking again," Luz interrupted.

"A wendigo is someone suffering from a really nasty curse," Wolverine explained. "One of the worst things that could to a person. It robs you of your personhood and makes you a danger to everyone around you, and it's contagious. Nine times out of ten the only cure is death, and I'm one of the few people who can safely put one down clean. An ur-wendigo is what happens when some twisted person deliberately concentrates and compounds the curse so that the victim ends up even more dangerous."

"Who could do such a thing?" Willow asked.

"Well, my money's on Roxxon Energy since I found a really messy scene. One of Roxxon's berserkers found the victim first and it looks like it was a mutual kill," Wolverine concluded.

"Roxxon is an evil corporation that keeps skating on the consequences because they've got money and connections," Luz supplied. "Their berserkers are mercenaries that got corrupted by drinking dragon's blood, making them turn into big hulking brutes with super strength and anger issues."

"So in short, I missed the court date because something more important came up, and since things tend to get funky when there's supers involved, without my testimony, the case got thrown out," Wolverine finished. "But again, this isn't stuff you need to worry about."

They were led into a waiting room of sorts, with chairs, and were gestured to sit.

"So I've been meaning to ask," Luz began. "Are we just... Talking to the school counselor? That's Ms. Braddock, right?"

"No. Betsy's good, but most of these kids haven't been through anything like what you've been through," Wolverine replied in an almost grateful tone. "Besides, she's off with Black Knight on Captain Britain business right now. Something about missing star stone and a parallel dimension where Stark figured out how to use those magic moon rocks as a clean power source."

"..Isn't Star stone the stuff that Black Knight's sword is made of?" Luz asked. "And like, also the stone that the sword was in?"

"Yes and I wouldn't know," was the reply. "Anyway, for your kids we brought out the big guns. An old friend has come out of retirement just for a little bit."

Into the waiting room wheeled, or rather floated, a large motorized chair frame and plated in yellow-painted metal. Sitting upon it was an older gentleman dressed, at least as far as Luz could see, in a smart suit. A dignified but genial expression was worn on his face, and there was not a single hair on his head.

"Good afternoon, children," the man greeted. "I am Charles Xavier."

TLOA

Under the Archives, in the remains of the Titan's Skull, Mephisto walked with a tune in his step. Things were going quite well for him, after all. He stopped at a pile of powdered stone and from his pocket withdrew a mewling, wretched soul which he forced into the pile and then ignited with a mass of hellfire.

As the fire burned it grew and took shape, and then all at once extinguished revealing one Odalia blight, dressed in th tattered rags of the damned and looking around frantically with a wide-eyed expression. "What, where, how, I... I was... Oh sweet merciful Titan, I..."

Mephisto slapped her, which snapped the witch to her senses.

"You! You... Our deal, it as supposed to—"

"Our deal isn't finished yet," Mephisto replied, "and you still have a lot of work to do if you want your daughter and our Queen-To-Be on The Throne. Otherwise," he said while looking her in the eye. "I'd have left you to burn." With a snap of his fingers the rags were transformed into the outfit she'd worn when she first died, save that the torn sleeves were repaired. "Now, you need to head up to the Archives, and sweet talk a little kid by the name of The Collector. It doesn't matter if we have our queens if that brat destroys the kingdom.. Or I could just take you back to mykingdom if you'd prefer."

The sort of fear that you only get when someone realizes that they never should have dealt with him in the first place. The kind that only comes paired with the realization that they're trapped came to Odalia's eyes and it was a most delicious sight to see. "Alright then," she said shakily.

"Good. Now, things are almost ready on my end," he said. He had almost all of the ingredients he needed, after all. "I just need to have a meeting with Belasco and Marduk Karois. They both owe me favors that I intend to collect. then a little stop off to pick up something I left on your planet's moon, though that's for later." He then noticed that she was still standing there. "Are you still here? You have your job, get going!"